09/09/13

The Center for Community Progress is pleased to announce the selection of Philadelphia as the host city for the fifth national Reclaiming Vacant Properties Conference. The conference, to be held Sept. 9-11, 2013, is themed “Investing in the Future: Unlocking Hidden Values.” Sessions and speakers will pay particular attention to the ways in which the nation’s communities are recognizing and capitalizing on the value from their vacant and distressed properties in order to reduce costs, increase revenues, return equity to individuals and create a stable foundation for future prosperity.

The conference is expected to attract between 600 and 1,000 government officials, advocates, business and nonprofit leaders to the Pennsylvania Convention Center, where they will participate in three days of mobile workshops, breakouts and plenary sessions. Sessions will cover a wide array of topics, ranging from mortgage modification strategies that keep owners in their homes, to the creative use of code enforcement that prevents property deterioration and encourages private investment, from creating land banks that ensure responsible control of vacant properties to using greening to reduce crime and pollution and increase property values.